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They can’t read my broker face

They say that to get somewhere in life you have to have your best face on, a way to convey to people your best-self. We have to do it for job interviews, weddings or when you’re on a night out to impress the ladies (but in my case this had very little positive impact).

Simple stuff, right? You’ve got to look your best to give off a good first impression. This should be no different for business. I’m sure there are plenty of marketing companies that agree with me on this.

The thing is, standing out and making that good first impression with customers is particularly important in the energy industry. There are now well over 1,000 energy brokers in the UK all vying for the same business. A very competitive market to say the least!

The market is changing, and we’re seeing a distinct push towards greater transparency for the industry. A positive step forward towards simplicity and clarity for the end user. We can see first hand that the way in which pricing results are presented to a customer has a significant impact on whether they sign down, or look at other procurement options.

Technology has become less intimidating over the years and takes up a large proportion of most of our daily lives. All of the major household names in consumer comparison websites provide results for energy tariffs, so we’re all used to comparing like for like and finding the best deal.

Energy brokers need to be heading in this direction (and many are) through instant pricing, corporate reverse auctions combined with a transparent and simple analysis of the best rates in the market. But whilst the utilities sector is moving along the right trajectory, there is still a remarkable lack of technology available and, in my opinion, it should be encouraged, incentivised and welcomed with open arms and open minds.

So I put it to you – energy brokers and consultants – put your best face on and use technology within your procurement process. Efficiency will improve, those all important sign-downs will increase and you might start standing out from your growing crowd of peers!

About the author

Andrew Hunter

Andy holds a successful background in major energy consulting firms, brokering major deals and managing portfolios for SME and corporate clients. Andy’s technical intuition and vision kick-started the development of the UtilityClick platform. Andy has ultimate responsibility for UtilityClick’s product development and is playing a pivotal role in the advancement of technology in the B2B energy industry.